Ruling bishop of the Canadian and Syracuse Dioceses
Vice Chairman of the ROCA Synod of Bishops.

Biography

The Right Reverend Andronik (whose civil name is Andrew Timofeyevich Kotlaroff) was born on October 17, 1951, in the city of Kuldzha in the Xinjiang province of China to a family of Russian refugees fleeing the Soviet regime. He was baptized at a young age in the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. In 1960, when most Russians immigrants left China, the Kotlaroff family immigrated to Australia. There he completed his primary schooling.

In 1968, as a seventeen-year old young man, he entered the Holy Trinity seminary in Jordanville, NY, USA, which he completed with honors in 1973. That same year in July, he returned home to Australia after completing a six-week pilgrimage to various holy sites.

In March, 1974, he was accepted as a novice in the ROCA Holy Trinity monastery in Jordanville. In October, 1974, on the feast day of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, he received his rassaphore from Archbishop Averkiy (Taushev). During Great Lent in March, 1975, he was tonsured by the Right Reverend Laurus, Bishop of Manhattan, and received his mantiya and the name Andronik in honor of the venerable Andronicus (Andronicus and Athanasia are celebrated on October 9/22.) On the day of the veneration of the Kazan Mother of God icon and St Averkiy Equal to the Apostles in October, 1975, he was consecrated a deacon. The consecration was performed by Bishop Laurus. On December 13/26, 1982, on the day of the veneration of the five martyrs of Sebaste, he was ordained a hieromonk and assigned to perform the regular schedule of services at the Mount of Olives monastery in the Holy Land. The ordination was performed by then Archbishop Laurus of Holy Trinity and Syracuse.

On January 7 /20, 1985, in the church of the Kursk Root icon of the Mother of God located in the residence of the ROCA Synod of Bishops, he was consecrated a hegumen by Bishop Hilarion of Manhattan. While serving temporarily in Perth, Australia, in 1995, he was awarded the right to wear a palitsa by Metropolitan Vitaly. In 1996, he was awarded the right to wear a decorated cross by Metropolitan Vitaly.

He returned to the Holy Land in 1997 and was named the hegumen of the monastery in Hebron. He served in that capacity for three days until he and the other inhabitants of the monastery were forcefully evicted by the Palestinian Authority, while the monastery complex was unlawfully given to the Moscow Patriarchate.

Later, and up to the sad day when a large part of the episcopate of the Russian Church Abroad joined the Moscow Patriarchate on May 17, 2007, he had the honor to serve as director of the ROCA Mission to the Holy Land, as well as the spiritual father of the Mount of Olives monastery.

He moved to New York, USA, on May 21, 2007, having been accepted under the omophor of the Right Reverend Agafangel, Bishop of Taurida and Odessa, who was the only remaining canonical bishop of the ROCA.

On July 10-12, 2007, he participated in the first meeting in Astoria, NY, USA, of the representatives of ROCA parishes which did not join the Moscow Patriarchate. It was decided to elevate him to archimandrite and designate him as the first candidate to become bishop to restore the canonical status of the ROCA administration. The ordination was performed by Bishop Agafangel (Pashkovskiy) of Taurida and Odessa.

After the All-night Vigil on the evening of December 6, 2007, on the eve of the day of the veneration of Holy Great Martyr Katherine, he was designated Bishop of Richmond and New York (he was located in Richmond Hill in the state of New York at the time).

During the Divine Liturgy on December 7, 2007, in accordance with a decision of the ROCA PSEA from July 11, 2007, and a Resolution of the Permanent Holy Synod of the Greek Old Calendar Orthodox Church headed by the Most Reverend Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Phyle, he was consecrated as bishop of Richmond and New York. The consecration was officiated by the Right Reverend Agafangel, Bishop of Taurida and Odessa (ROCA), the Right Reverend George, Bishop of Alania and the Right Reverend Ambrose, Bishop of Methone (both from the Synod in Resistance, Greece).

At various times, he was the Vice Chairman of the ROCA PSEA and Administrator of the North American Administrative District. In accordance with a decision of a Council of Bishops meeting on October 28, 2009, he was designated Archbishop of Syracuse and St. Nicholas.